America
prides itself in being called "the land of the free." But,
what, exactly, does it mean to be free? Does it mean owning a car and
having a job? People in communist countries own a car and have a job.
Does it mean going to a mall to shop. People in communist countries
go to a mall to shop. Does it mean going to an amusement park to recreate?
People in communist countries go to amusement parks. Does it mean going
to the polls and voting? People in communist countries go to the polls
and vote. In reality, many, if not most, of the things that most Americans
would identify as marks of freedom are commonly practiced in the most
oppressed communist countries of the world. So, what does it mean to
be free?

Obviously,
the freedom of speech is a crucial element of freedom, so much so that
it is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. And the
truth is, freedom of speech is not at all what it used to be in this
country. If you doubt that, just ask the hundreds and thousands of journalists,
news anchors, sportscasters, business executives, religious leaders,
non-profit organization heads, teachers, scientists, government employees,
etc., who have lost their positions for saying something politically
incorrect. If you could, ask the late Howard Cosell or the late Jimmy
"The Greek" Snyder. Ask Judge Andrew Napolitano, Glenn Beck,
or Lou Dobbs. There are literally millions of people across America
who daily "bite their tongues" and refuse to speak for fear
of demotion, dismissal, retaliation, persecution, or worse! You call
that freedom of speech? Gag!

Another
critical element of freedom enshrined in the First Amendment is the
right to worship freely. But, this, too, is not what it used to be.
Can anyone remember when pastors and church leaders were free to say
what they wanted in regard to issues that tread into government? If
you do, you are probably over 50 years old or attend a non-501c3 church.
On the whole, pastors and church leaders today are literally "scared
silly" to broach any topic that might have political overtones,
which means a sizeable percentage of the Bible is either ignored or
spiritualized away by the vast majority of America's pulpits. You call
this freedom of worship? Barf!

Of
course, the right of the people to keep and bear arms is one of the
most crucial ingredients of a free society. It is this right that, for
the most part, separates the United States from the oppressed nations
of the world. And, of course, the Powers That Be have been chipping
away at this fundamental tenet of liberty for nearly half a century,
to the point that there are literally tens of millions of Americans
who are forbidden by law from owning or possessing a firearm due to
a conviction or plea bargain for some "crime" in which no
one-nada--was injured. And in many states, even those who have never
run afoul of the law are forbidden from owning--and
especially--possessing a firearm. Can anyone say Massachusetts or California?

Government
attacks against the Second Amendment notwithstanding, I am absolutely
convinced that the ownership and possession of more than 100 million
firearms in the hands and homes (and hearts) of the American citizenry
is the main thing that has kept the overt forces of tyranny somewhat
at bay to this point in our country. I suggest that even you folks who
do not really care anything about guns and shooting, but who claim to
love liberty, go purchase a firearm and learn the fundamental elements
of firearm safety and usage--if for no other reason than because you
are an American who believes in freedom and who understands that only
free men own guns!

The
right to be secure in your homes, papers, effects, etc., is also an
essential element of liberty. But this right has been largely expunged
in the United States--especially since 9/11/01. The NDAA (and other
federal laws and executive orders) suspends the right to a trial by
jury and the right to not be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment,
among other essential liberties.

But
perhaps the most essential element of liberty is the right to be left
alone, the right to privacy, the understanding that a man's home is
his castle, the right of free people to live their lives without Big
Brother looking over their shoulder. Without the right to be left alone,
liberty does not exist! And ladies and gentlemen, it is this freedom
that is under attack the most in this country.

This
is an issue that cuts across all political, social, racial, and religious
lines. It doesn't matter to a hill of beans whether one is liberal or
conservative, Democrat or Republican, white or black, or Protestant
or Catholic. The right of free men to be left alone without government
sticking its nose into our personal and private business is the quintessential
ingredient of a free society. And in this regard, do you really believe
America is still the "land of the free"? You're kidding, right?

America
is no longer "one nation under God." Today, America is "one
nation under surveillance." Cameras monitoring our every movement,
satellites taking pictures of our homes, listening devices being used
to record our conversations, hi-tech computers capturing virtually every
piece of correspondence, banking institutions forwarding our private
financial records to Big Brother, and now armed drones flying over the
neighborhoods of the American citizenry all reveal that America is anything
but the "land of the free." The following My Way News report
is merely another example of this repulsive reality:

"The
U.S. intelligence community will now be able to store information about
Americans with no ties to terrorism for up to five years under new Obama
administration guidelines.

"Until
now, the National Counterterrorism Center had to immediately destroy
information about Americans that was already stored in other government
databases when there were no clear ties to terrorism.

"Giving
the NCTC expanded record-retention authority had been called for by
members of Congress who said the intelligence community did not connect
strands of intelligence held by multiple agencies leading up to the
failed bombing attempt on a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas 2009.

"'Following
the failed terrorist attack in December 2009, representatives of the
counterterrorism community concluded it is vital for NCTC to be provided
with a variety of datasets from various agencies that contain terrorism
information,' Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in
a statement late Thursday. 'The ability to search against these datasets
for up to five years on a continuing basis as these updated guidelines
permit will enable NCTC to accomplish its mission more practically and
effectively.'

"The
new rules replace guidelines issued in 2008 and have privacy advocates
concerned about the potential for data-mining information on innocent
Americans.

"'It
is a vast expansion of the government's surveillance authority,' Marc
Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information
Center, said of the five-year retention period.

"The
government put in strong safeguards at the NCTC for the data that would
be collected on U.S. citizens for intelligence purposes, Rotenberg said.
These new guidelines undercut the Federal Privacy Act, he said.

"'The
fact that this data can be retained for five years on U.S. citizens
for whom there's no evidence of criminal conduct is very disturbing,'
Rotenberg said."

Go
to any oppressed country, and what will you find? A surveillance society!
This is the most glaring characteristic of an Orwellian state. And ladies
and gentlemen, Communist China or Red Russia has nothing over the United
States when it comes to the development and implementation of a surveillance
society. And the truth is the US would have already plummeted into overt
oppression if it were not for the fact that there are so many guns in
the possession of the American citizenry. But, I say again, without
the right to be left alone, liberty does not exist.

Folks,
we must start paying attention to this surveillance society that it
quickly taking shape in this country. No! Not just start paying attention
to it, start RESISTING it! A surveillance society cannot emerge without
the cooperation of State governors, attorney generals, legislators,
senators, county sheriffs, city mayors, police chiefs, etc. And where
are America's pastors to sound the alarm bells from the church houses
regarding this attack against our liberty? Where are the college professors?
Where are the journalists and reporters? Where are the retired military
personnel who were willing to sacrifice their lives on foreign shores?
What good is it to fight for freedom overseas, if we are not willing
to fight for freedom at home?

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So,
the next time you hear someone shout out that America is the "land
of the free," ask them if they have given any thought to the fact
that virtually everything they do, everything they say, everywhere they
go, and every financial transaction they make is being monitored, scrutinized,
and surveilled by the federal government and the private institutions
they control. Ask them what they are doing to resist this sinister surveillance
society that is quickly enveloping this country. Ask them what their
pastor is doing to resist this burgeoning surveillance society. Ask
them what kind of country do they think their children and grandchildren
are going to grow up in one day. Then ask them if they truly understand
what it means to be free. And maybe more importantly, ask them if they
understand what it takes to keep America free, because people who are
not left alone are not free!

•
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Chuck
Baldwin is a syndicated columnist, radio broadcaster, author, and pastor
dedicated to preserving the historic principles upon which America was
founded. He was the 2008 Presidential candidate for the Constitution Party.
He and his wife, Connie, have 3 children and 8 grandchildren. Chuck and
his family reside in the Flathead Valley of Montana. See
Chuck's complete bio here.